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How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny

How the Light Gets In

A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel, #9

by Louise Penny
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  • First Published:
  • Aug 27, 2013, 416 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jul 2014, 416 pages
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Reviews


Page 4 of 6
There are currently 39 member reviews
for How the Light Gets In
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  • Lydia M. (Lakeview, OR)
    Merci beaucoup Mme Penny..
    I hesitated on the 'doorstep' of this novel before entering; having read all the previous Chief Inspector Gamache books I knew (or I thought I knew) what was in store. Ms Penny has over the years woven such a tapestry of characters leading to this new release and they are all assembled here to provide the reader with a story rich in personal and societal chaos and ultimately redemption.
    This novel could, unlike previous books, 'stand alone'..but to have taken this journey as a 'constant reader' through the previous eight books we are rewarded with a delicious and surprising story.
    Draw up a chair...offer Ruth a Scotch..settle before the fireplace at the Bistro...you are in for a treat.
    Quel merveilleux voyage cela a été.....
  • Sandra G. (Loveland, CO)
    Absolutely superb!
    As I began this book, I felt as if I were sinking into an armchair in Olivier's bistro, anticipating the appearance of familiar characters I loved (Armand, in particular) and those I didn't. (Ruth) My sense of comfort disappeared rather quickly. Of all the mysteries she has written, this was by far the most intense. It was riveting, one of those can't-put-it-down books. If 5 stars = very good, this book deserves even more.
  • Nancy K. (Toledo, OH)
    One Of Her Best!
    First of all I must be honest- I have read nearly all of Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache books and eagerly look forward to the next one. Her books are character driven and each one in the series seems to highlight 2 or 3 of the people living in Three Pines. How The Light Gets In features Ruth and Myrna and of course the imaginary Quebec town itself plays a major role. There are really 3 stories wonderfully interwoven in this book and I could not stop reading to find out how each one affects the other. While the reader does not have to have read all the other books in this series it would help to start with one of the earlier ones to get familiar with the characters- believe me you will get hooked!
  • Mary Ellen L. (Canfield, OH)
    How the Light Gets In
    I recently read the first book in Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series and just finished this ninth. This book is a most impressive mystery. The characters are well-developed and memorable, the plot subtle and ingenious, and the mystery complex. A definite five-star rating is warranted. It was helpful to have read the first book in the series. My task now is to read the second, followed by the remaining novels.
  • Paula K. (Cave Creek, AZ)
    Yay: Back to Three Pines!
    I first met Armand Gamache in book 6, "Bury Your Dead", and was so smitten with all things Gamache that I went back to book #1 and started working my way through the Louise Penny series. Thankfully we return to the wonderful location of Three Pines after the departure to another location in the previous book. The release of tension is palpable as Gamache drives from Montreal to the village of Three Pines where the Internet is impossible, the newspapers are at least a day late and the residents as good as it gets. The innocence of Three Pines is even more compelling juxtaposed against the city of Montreal where Gamache continues to investigate a secret that threatens to bring down the entire province, unless it first brings down Gamache in his attempt to find the truth. The case he is working involves a former client of Myrna, who left her therapy practice to open a book store (library) in Three Pines. Myrna's client possesses a secret that started at her birth and as Gamache works to reveal this secret, he also makes his own investigation into the secret that lies rotting at the core of the Surete du Quebec. When Penny departed from Three Pines locale in the previous book, she also introduced a rift between Gamache and his right-hand man, Jean-Guy Bouvoir, struggling with an addiction to pain-killers. The relationship between Gamache and Bouvoir has been the soul of the series and I was so disappointed to see its eminent destruction, which continues in "How the Light Gets In". Penny has brought Gamache to the apex of his career and has also achieved the best in her series with "How the Light Gets In".
  • Linda S. (Arlington Heights, IL)
    How the Light Gets In
    I was so happy to be chosen to read Louise Penny's latest Armand Gamache mystery. I was excited to see what had happened in Three Pines since the last time we visited. Mysteries are usually heavily plot driven but Penny pays keen attention to the characters too. She fleshes them out so well! She also layers plots on top of plots and makes the scenes sparkle. I couldn't put this book down. If you haven't read her other books I highly recommend that you do. It'll give you a better background on what is going on.
    This is not your mother's mysteries!
  • Lani S. (Narberth, PA)
    a dazzling winner!
    This is my first experience with Louise Penny and her Inspector Gamache series. I had long heard whispers about how good the series was but did not take it seriously. "What a fool am I!" What seems like a straight forward plot is filled with twists and turns and surprises that left my mouth agape. What was even more special, is how I really came to care for many of the characters who each had a very distinctive voice. This book is not simply a wonderful mystery, but a wonderful saga of a group of people, a town and a land whose beauty shines throughout the pages. I know I am one of those who are now going to go back and read the whole series. I dare anyone to not like this book.

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